1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle operation input apparatus that displays an operation menu on a screen of a display, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional image display apparatus displays an operation menu in response to the approach of a finger toward a touch panel disposed on a screen of a display in order to receive a user operation (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-358162 (JP 2002-358162 A), for example).
In the image display apparatus described in JP 2002-358162 A, however, the operation menu is not displayed until the finger approaches the touch panel, and it may therefore be impossible to operate operation buttons on the operation menu smoothly. Further, when the image display apparatus is applied to a vehicle, a driver performs an operating procedure of first displaying the operation menu by bringing a finger close to the touch panel and then operating a desired operation button while looking at the operation menu. In this operating procedure, substantially two operations (an operation to bring the finger close and an operation of the desired operation button) are required to operate a single operation button, and therefore operability may deteriorate.